No action on Houston strip club fee

Consideration of a $5-per-head fee on customers of strip clubs to pay for reducing the city’s backlog of untested rape kits has been delayed for a week.

Council members Melissa Noriega and Al Hoang both tagged the item, a parliamentary maneuver that puts off an agenda item for one week, no questions asked.

Neither Noriega nor Hoang said they were against the plan but wanted more time to consider the measure, which was introduced a week ago by Councilwoman Ellen Cohen.

“Picture this chamber filled 25 times over with survivors of sexual assault,” Cohen said as she urged her colleagues to support the measure next week. “If we do nothing, nothing will get done.” Cohen authored similar state legislation as a member of the Texas House of Representatives.

Councilman C.O. Bradford said, “Something is being done,” namely the mayor’s proposed budget setting aside $5 million to speed up processing of more than 6,600 untested rape kits and the city’s continued pursuit of grant money.

Why should strip clubs or customers have to pay to test rape kits? Shouldn’t that be the police’s/prosecuter’s job? I guess I didn’t realize that going to strip club means you’re going to rape someone.

According to the city’s logic, bars that cater to a primarily hispanic or black clientele should have to collect a fee to pay for crime scene investigations. Fair is fair, or more accurately, unfair is unfair.

Why doesn’t Councilwoman Ellen Cohen propose a fee (tax) on something everyone pays for instead of being the morality police and singling out one particular type of legal business she personally has an issue with. Apparently she is clueless about the proposed budget money and the pursuit of grant money for just this purpose. Either she is not up to speed or wants to pursue her agenda regardless.

Morality and legality are two completely different things and shouldn’t be mixed. What I do that doesn’t harm anyone should have no legal standing. If you’re going to rule on morality, begin with all the damned hypocritical politicians, judges, grand juries, etc….also throw in abusive cops, even though I do think that should fall under legal…

Houston already loses to Dallas in conventions and yes, part of the reason has to do with such foolishness as extra fees and/or covering up the dancers. FACT: Most of the attendees at big conventions are older men that want to see pretty girls dancing at strip clubs; continue to tamper with that and it’s no wonder none of the really big conventions come here.